Suction cleaner



U. A. WHITAKER .SUGTION CLEANER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 2, 19

uvsuron (films A. W/ il k ATTORNEY Dec. 21,1937. u, A WHITAKER 2,103,049 I SUCTION CLEANER Filed Jan. 2, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' INVENTOH ATTORN EY Patented Dec. 21, 1937 arcane sUo'rioN panama poration at 01110 Application January 2, 1935, Serial No. 113 r l Qlaim.

The present invention relates to suction cleaners in general and particularly to an odorizer unit in a suction cleaner construction; More speciflcally the invention comprises new and novel features in an odorizer unit which is adapted to form a part of a suction cleaner unit.

It is an object of the present inventionto provide a new and improved odor-creating means in a suction cleaner. Another object of the invention is to provide, in a suction cleaner unit, an odorizer 'unit having available a plurality of odor-creating volatile agents and which is provided with selective means by which the operator can control the, odor produced. Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel odorizer unit including a plurality of scent-producing elements. A still further object is to provide, in v a suction cleaner unit, anodorizer unit in which a moving air stream, drawn by the suction-creating means, passes selectively over one of a plurality of volatile agents. A further object is the provision of an odorizer unit for a suction cleaner which includes manually operable valves to enable the operator to control selectively the scent produced by. the unit in operation. Still another object is the provision of an odorizer unit in which the passage of an air stream therethrough is controlled by a manually operable valve which directs the air stream over one of a plurality of so odor-producing volatile agents included in 'the construction. Still another object of the invention is the provision of an odorizer unit which is embodied as an attachment element adapted to be connected to the end of the dusting tool hose carried by the cleaner and which isprovided with a manually operable valve to control theflow of air past the volatile agent. These and other more specific objects will appear upon reading the following specificatlon and claims and. upon considerlng in connection therewith the attached drawlugs to which they relate.

Referring now to the drawings in which preferred embodiments of the present invention are disclosed: Figure l is a side elevation of the suction cleaner embodying-the first preferred embodimerit of the invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the removable part of the air passageway between the nozzle and the fan chamber upon which the odoriaer unit constructedis embodied;

Figure -3 is a view of the construction shown in Figure 2 at right angles to the showing thereof; Figure 4 is an enlarged view of .the manually operable control for the unit valve;

Figure 5 is a view in perspective of one of the agent receptacles removed from the unit;

Figure 6 is a cross section upon the line ii-t of Figure 2;

Figure 7 is a vertical section upon the line l-l of Figure 3; Figure 8 is a section through the receptacle seats upon the line t-ii of Figure 6;

Figure 9 is a section through the valve cham ber upon the line d9 of Figure 6; 10

Figure 10 is a showing of a second preferred embodiment of the invention included in a sueillustrating its connection with the end of the dusting tool hose, being taken upon the line lie-ii ofl igure 12;

Figure 12 is a top plan view oi the structure shown in Figure ll: 26

Figure 13 is a transverse cross section through the unit upon the line iii-d3 of Figure ll Figure 14 is a transverse cross section upon line i l-ltof Figure ll.

In the operation of a suction [cleaner in 25 home the air which passes through the cleaner is observed, by persons with sensitive olfactory senses, to be characterized by a dry scent or odor. To disguise this slightly disagreeable eiiect the modern suction cleaner is provided with. an 39 odorizer unit which gives ofif a pleasant odor which serves to disguise the natural smell or the air and to render it pleasant. lfhe use of a cleaner in a room with the odorizer in operation results in the scenting of the air in the room 35 with the scent of the volatile agent used in-the unit. The'various rooms of a home have their own characteristics and a particular housekeeper often desires to maintain the personality of each room intact. To assist in this the suction v cleaner embodying the present invention is provided with a plurality oi odor-producing agents which are controlled by the operator so that the odor produced in, a room is determined by theoperator. According to the present invention, 5 this result is accomplished in an emclent and novel manner as hereinafter fully disclosed.

Referring now to Figures 1 to 9, inclusive, the first preferred embodiment of the invention is. disclosed. In Figure 1, in particular, a modem 50 suction cleaner is, shown. The cleaner nozzle iis connected to the fan chamber 2 through an air passageway '3, the parttliereof, immediately adjacent the fan chamber 2 being formed as an removable element in a mannerwell known in 5 housing cover, or merely as the removable part of the air passageway. The fan chamber is provided with an exhaust outlet 4 to ,which is attached a dust bag it which functions in the operation of the machine to filter from the air passing therethrough the suspended foreign matter which, has been collected from the surface covering undergoing cleaning. A motor casing 6 is posttioned above the fan chamber 2 and encloses an unshown driving motor of the usual sort which drives the suction-creating fan! positioned within the fan chamber 2. The cleaner is supported upon front and rear wheels 8 and 9 and a pivoted handle it is provided by which the operator can exert the necessary force to propel the machine in its operation.

The odoriaer unit constructed in accordance with this embodiment of the invention, is a part of the removable casing ti and as such is adapted to be sold therewith as a, unit to be embodied in cleaners unprovided with an o'dorizer unit. For this purpose, the member 3 is of the usual and well known type, being provided with forwardly-projecting lugs, one of which is indicated. by the reference character i l in Figure 2, and by a rearwardly projecting shoulder l2. Each lug H is adapted to seat within a suitable recess in the nozzle I while the shoulder I2 is adapted to be secured on the underside of the fan chamber 2 by the manually operable latch means l3. This type of construction is well known in the art as is evidenced by the patent to H. C. Hettelsater, 1,575,363. The removable cover '3 includes a casing l5 which is formed interiorly with a cylindrical body cavity open at one end and normally closed by a pivoted cover plate l6 which is held in place by a manually operable leaf spring detent H. In the casing i5 is provided a hollow cylindrical member i8 entirely open at one end and formed with a closing wall at its inner end. Member 18 is formed as, and is divided into, a

plurality of similar seats by a centrally positioned longitudinally bored tube l9 and by radially extending walls 20, 20, 20. A separate receptacle seat is formed between each pair of walls, and

each seat is connected to the body cavity forward of the seat by a pair of radially spaced ports 2| and 22.

Forward of the receptacle seats the cavity of housing I5 is formed as a valve chamber which is divided into an inner chamber 23 and an outer '24 of the valve chamber is connected by a passageway 26 to the interior of the casing member 3 so that, with the cleaner in operation, air will be drawn from the exterior atmosphere, through the tubular member I!) into the valve chamber 23, and through the passageway 28 into the eye of the fan chamber.

= 21 which rotates about the extended end of the tube N as an axis and is positioned between the circular wall 25 and the adjacent inner face the art. This element is known as the pulley of the member I8. Valve 2'? is. formed with radially extending ports 28, 28 etc. which are adapted to overlie selectively any pair of ports 2 l, 22 opening into a particular receptacle seat, or to be so positioned that they fail to mate with all of the ports 21 and 22. With the valve element 2'5 so rotated that a particular port '28 coincides with a particular pair of ports 2i and 22 the air in passing through the unit and from the .inner valve chamber 25 to the outer valve chamber 24 will, of necessity in order to get past the circular wall 25, travel through the port 28, through the port 2i into the receptacle seat and from that seat through the port 22 and again through the port 28 to enter theouter valve chamber from whence it will be drawn via the air passageway 26 into the fan chamber. Slight leakage wiil occur immediately between the wall 225 and the adjacent face of the receptacle seat but the air leakage is relatively insignificant as compared to the air which will pass through receptacle seat opened by the valve port.

The position of the valve 2? is controlled by a manually rotatable element. 29 which is carried at the end of a rotatable shaft 35 mounted in a laterally extending shoulder on the casing l5. The inner end of shaft 38 is rigidly connected by an L-shaped member 3| 'to the valve element 21. Any rotation of the element 29 results directly in the rotation of the plate valve 21, unintended movement being prevented by a coil spring 32' which seats within a counter-bored seat surrounding the shaft at the end of the shoulder and which acts against the inner end of the knob 29. Cooperating indicating means upon the knob 29 and upon the shoulder adjacent thereto, comprising an arrow whichis adaptedto extend adjacent-markings uponthe knob 29, evidence the valve position.

The volatile odorizing agent for use in the present invention is carried by a receptacle 35, which conforms in shape to the individual seats in the member IS. A receptacle is adapted to be positioned in a seat through being forced thereinto from the open end when the cover I 6 is pivoted to its open position. Once within its seat it is held therein by a spring'36 carried by the cap I 6. The volatile element may be of any preferred type such as a cake, or maybe a body of wick material saturated with a volatile redolent agent. The volatile element preferably does not extend entirely to the open end of its receptacle but is spaced slightly therefrom, as is clearly indicated in Figure 5, making it possible for a stream of air to pass into and through the end of the receptacle with the valve 21 so positioned as to direct air into the seat in which it is positioned.

In the operation of this-preferred form of the invention the placing of the cleaner in use causes air to be drawn from the nozzle l and exhausted into the dust bag 5. The operator upon determining that a certain odor is desired in the room in which the cleaning is being done moves the manually operable knob 29 from the off positlon to oneof the positions in which the arrow points to one of the numerals carried by the knob. Each numeral indicates a particular valve' position and so a particular scent, and by knowing the relationship of the scents to the numerals, the operator can determine the correct position of the knob. With the knob positioned so that one of its numerals is opposite the indicating arrow the valve is so positioned that the air drawn through the odorizer unit passes into the receptacle containing the volatile agent which creates awash;

T preferred that the manually operable knob 29 be moved to the off position in order to prevent unintended and unnecessary volatilization of the agents.

Referring now to Figures 10 to 14 inclusive, in

, particular, a second preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed. According to this embodiment the suction cleaner is constructed as in the first embodiment with ,the exception that the removable air passageway member 9 is of the usual well known type and does not include the odorizer unit. The dust bag 5 of the cleaner has been removed and to the exhaust outlet '4 has been attached a blower connection 40 to which is secured an elongated flexible hose 4|, com- The unit comprises a hollow cylindrical metallic body 43 which is slightly flared at its outer end and which is of such size at its inner end that it is adapted to closely enclose and seat upon the metallic seat of the hose 4|. The spring-pressed detent 44, of a. common and well known type, extends through the body 43 and seats within the channel at the outer end of member 42 and functions to prevent the unintentional separation of the member and of the hose. Rearward of the detent 44 the body 49 is enlarged and there is positioned therein a cylindrical mounting member which is mounted on the body 43 by screws,

, indicated by the reference character 45. The

outer end of support 45 is open, while the inner end is formed with a reduced collared opening 41. Within the support 45 and'spaced therefrom at all except the supporting points is a second cylindrical member 49. Screws 49, 49, 49 support the member 49 in the support 45 so that it extends rearwardly to the end of the member 45 while its forward closed end is somewhat short of the collared opening 41. Member 49 is divided by radially extending walls 59, 50, 59 into three seats,

of the same type as in the first embodiment, and

when in place within a seat is held against outward displacement by spring arms 59 carried by a pivoted closure member 54 which is itself held in position by amauually operable leaf spring detent 55.

The valve member of the present embodiment,

' which is indicated by the reference character 55, includes a cylindrical portion 51 and is rotatably positioned atthe side of the closing wall of seat member 49. V A- hollow lug at the center of the valve element extends through an opening in the wall where it is expanded and serves to hold the valve to the'wall while permitting it to rotate.

The valve is also mounted in the collared opening 41 as a bearing through its cylindrical portion 51 seating therein. As in the first embodiment the valve includes clrcumferentially spaced ports, indicated by the reference characters 59,. and with a port 59 adjacent and opposite to a port 5| the interior of the receptacle seat, and so-the receptacle, is open to the interior of the body 43 and so to the interior of the dusting tool hose 4|.

The position of valve 59 is controlled by a radially extending lever arm- 59 which is non-rotatably secured relative to the cylindrical portion 51 of the valve by a lock nut 69. i The outer end of the lever passes through the body 49 in a slot 9| which is divided into spaces by markers and at certain spaces are provided numerals to indicate a valve position. Opposite a certain space is found the word "off indicating that with the lever arm positioned in that position the valve has been moved to the off position. Unnecessary and undesired leakage of air through the slot 9| is prevented by a seal plate 52 which is carried by the lever 59, which, through conforming to the curvature of body 49 and being of sufllclent length at all times closes the slot.

In the use of the present invention the suction cleaner is connected as indicated in Figure 10, the dust bag being removed and the dusting tool hose being connected to the exhaust outlet of the machine. In this relationship air is blown through the machine and through the odorizer unit connected at the end of the dusting tool hose. With the control lever 59 positioned to the "off position, no air passes through the unit in the sensecf passing over a volatile agent. With the lever positioned in either of its three working positions the unit is operative. The air enters at high velocity having been exhausted under pressure from the hose 4| and is forced through the cylindrical part of the valve 51, through the mouth of the receptacle and down the passageway formed between the-cylindrical member 49 and the support-45 to join again the main body of the air stream at the flanged opening of the body 49. If a diilerent odor is desired the operator need only change the lever 59 from one position to a second,'as in the first embodiment. With the valve in the off" position all of the .air pass ing through the body 49 passes around and at the sides of the cylindrical mounting member 45.

I claim:

In an odorizer unit, a body formed with an open ended cavity and'with a passageway extending from the inner end of said cavity adapted to be connected to a source of suction, a plurality of seats in said cavity adapted to receive volatile-element-containing receptacles, receptacles adapted to contain diiferently scented volatile elements positioned in said seats, the inner end of said cavity forward of said receptacles being formed as a valve chamber open to said passageway, a second passageway connecting said chamber to atmosphere, valve means in said chamber adapted to connect selectively any one of said receptacles between said passageways so that air passing therebetween passes into contact with a volatile element, and control means operable from the exterior oi said body to control manually the position of said valve.

. UNCAB A. WHITAKER. 

